Drugs alone won't fix our epidemic of depression | James S Gordon

To fight a rising tide of depression and suicide, psychiatrists need to do more than just fill patients up with pillsThe New York Times recently published an important investigative reportshining a long-overdue light on the painful, sometimes disabling experience of withdrawing from antidepressants – drugs that millions of Americans have been taking, sometimes for decadesThe recent deaths ofKate Spade andAnthony Bourdain threw into stark relief the human toll that depression can take. But the problem is complex, with multiple factors. We are seeing a striking increase in the number of Americans diagnosed with depression, and an accompanying increase in suicides. This is coupled with the promiscuous and sharply increasing prescription of antidepressants to 34.4 million Americans in 2013-2014, up from 13.4 million just 15 years earlier. And this pervasive prescribing continues despite the lack of proof of the drugs ’ long-term effectiveness; their mixed results even with short-term treatment; the frequent side-effects – weight gain, gastrointestinal problems and sexual dysfunction – that are themselves depressing. Meanwhile, we are paying theprohibitive financial costs of depression – an estimated annual average of $210.5bn in treatment and lost productivity.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - July 19, 2018 Category: Science Authors: James S Gordon Tags: Depression Science Mental health Medicine Source Type: news